Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Live forever?

Be sure to read Rebecca's site tonight. She has had a very rough day. She called me and was so upset (a friend died) that I told her to hang up and I would get in the car. Which I did. Rebecca feels things a lot more deeply than many suspect and she was so upset.

Grief is tough.

I long ago gave up on any fantasy of living forever.

Even before my husband passed away, I had lived through enough deaths to realize I did not want forever.

I certainly would not want to outlive my children and grandchildren.

For centuries, the thought of living forever has popped up in folklore and literature.

I do understand the desire, the hope that you could escape time's hands.

But the reality would be that you would have lived through the deaths of everyone you ever loved.

How long could you live after that? How many funerals could you attend?

I have had a good life, it has been a wonderful journey.

I am very, very lucky to have been blessed with great family and friends.

But when it is time, it is time. I do believe in an after-life and I do believe my husband and I will be reunited then.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014. Chaos and violence continue, a professor tries
to blame Congress for a scandal (she flaps her know-nothing gums), but
the scandal was known to Barack's transition team all those years ago,
the VA scandal of the fake appointment lists involves Barack's current
nominee for the post of VA Deputy Under Secretary of Health, Barack puts
the US under a state of "national emergency" over Iraq, allegations of
election fraud continue to swirl in Iraq, and much more.

Some people should grasp that they don't know everything. Linda Bilmes has her areas of expertise and her areas of stupidity. She tells Jordain Carney and Stacy Kaper (National Journal), "Congress has been totally exasperated by the VA’s
inability to get on top of the problem for a long time. But they haven’t been willing to really contemplate
anything other than throwing more money at the problem."

Her stupidity is dangerous to the nation.

Her statement 'feels' right so she blathers on like an idiot. But she's
completely uninformed and ignorant. If you didn't do the work, sit
your tired ass down because nobody needs to hear it.

I've been at the hearings, I've reported on the hearings. Linda's
efforts to blame Congress are shameless. I don't care if it's a
Democrat or a Republican, members of Congress have not just tossed money
at the problem. They have asked VA repeatedly, "What do you need?"
They have asked that in terms of money, in terms of bills. Stephanie
Herseth Sandlin was one of the best about this. Her remarks in
Subcommittees she chaired went like this, "We are here to help our
veterans and we need to work together on this. So what tools do you
need that you don't have?"

Carney and Kaper say that it takes 2 years for a VA claims adjuster to be trained. Really?

I'd love to know where they got that figure. VA officials have usually
told Congress that it takes 8 months to a year. It's interesting how
so-called facts can be made up -- look at the crap Linda's spewing for
example. We note Linda on the costs of the Iraq War. We will be far
less likely to note Linda in the future because she is either lying in
the statement we quoted or she is perfectly willing to speak without any
research at all. In either case, she is no longer trustworthy and her
ridiculous remarks question the legitimacy of all of her work -- past,
present and future.

Linda didn't make the VA claims remark ("It takes approximately two
years to fully train a claims worker") but here's why Carney and Kaper
look like idiots -- how about people start doing the damn work required?
-- the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees did not start
offering money for more claims workers two years ago. Bernie Sanders is
the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and I can remember
then-Chair Patty Murray raising this issue and then-Chair Daniel Akaka
raising this issue.

And, by the way, when Committee members raised this issue they were told
by Dr. Robert Petzel and Allison Hickey and others with VA that they
didn't want extra workers (because it would take 8 months or a year to
fully train them) which is why overtime was utilized instead.

Do Carney and Kaper know about that? Apparently not.

Apparently, you can 'report' any damn thing in the world if you're willing to make it up.

Bob Filner. I know Bob and I like Bob. As San Diego Mayor, he
disgraced himself with unbecoming actions that were also criminal. My
heart breaks for Bob and I hope he can learn from what happened, I do
believe in redemption.

But what happened there has nothing to do with his tenure as Chair of
the House Veterans Affairs Committee. He called out Petzel and Hickey.
The only one who shows that kind of determination today is Senator
Richard Burr (Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee).

Maybe if reporters had actually attended the hearings -- novel concept,
isn't it? -- and reported on them, we wouldn't have to scream so loud
here.

And I think, with the exception of Bob Filner and Richard Burr, all
Committee members are too kind to VA officials -- who are liars, they've
lied repeatedly and should be held in contempt of Congress for their
lies.

I praise Daniel Akaka for the tone he set as Chair of the Senate
Veterans Affairs Committee, but I also called out Daniel. And I know
Daniel and like Daniel. But we're the ones who said he needed to step
down and we're the ones who said Patty Murray needed to be made the
Chair. I love Daniel but he was making too many mistakes and was far
too pleasant in the face of repeated lies from the VA. I cried after I
dictated the snapshot calling for him to step down as Chair but I cried after. I didn't silence the criticism (which I still consider accurate).

So no one should ever think I'm going to pull punches. If I feel a hard call has to be made, I will make it.

That doesn't mean I'm right and I can be wrong and often am. But it
does mean I don't run around trying to excuse the Veterans Affairs
Committees.

Linda flaunts gross ignorance when she states, "Congress has been totally exasperated by the VA’s
inability to get on top of the problem for a long time. But they
haven’t been willing to really contemplate anything other than throwing
more money at the problem."

Patty Murray has repeatedly asked VA officials what tools do they need?
Richard Burr has especially asked them that question with regards to
how to hold failing employees accountable.

Linda needs to get her lazy ass to a VSO hearing. That's when the
Committees hear from various Veterans Service Organizations about
proposed bills and laws and what the VSOs think of these measures.

In hearing, VA officials will frequently insist that this or that bill will hamper them. Does Linda know about that?

No, she doesn't know a thing.

But what a pleasing lie to tell, "It's everyone's fault!"

The Veterans Affairs Committee need to do a better job of oversight but,
in terms of attempting to address problems, they have proposed various
legislative changes and, generally speaking, the VA opposes them on
every measure.

Whatever Bob Filner is, he was a strong advocate for veterans. So
was/are Steve Buyer, Jeff Miller, Patty Murray, Daniel Akaka, Richard
Burr, Mark Begich, etc. And it is insulting to be ignorant of what's
taken place yet respond to the latest VA scandal with some insipid
remark that builds on collective guilt (but lacks the guts to go there).

It's amazing Linda can blame Congress but not say a word about the president.

It's the Phoenix VA medical center where the lists are said to have led
to the deaths of 40 veterans so, yes, it's better that Murawsky was over
Chicago instead of Phoenix but not 'better enough' to justify
nominating him for a promotion. Oh, wait, he was also supposed to
supervise Phoenix.

Senator John Cornyn called today for Barack to withdraw the nomination noting:

Instead of nominating a reformer from outside the VA system who can
bring fresh leadership as the next Under Secretary for Health -- a key
position responsible for overseeing the VHA -- you have appointed Dr.
Jeffrey A. Murawsky, a career administrator whose own tenure at the VA
raises serious concerns. [F]rom February 2010 through
February 2012, Dr. Murawsky directly supervised Sharon Helman, the
current director of the Phoenix VA Health Care System who has been
placed on administrative leave due to similar allegations of secret wait
lists and resulting veteran deaths there.

40 veterans may be dead because of this and Barack's nominating Murawsky?

This is not about 'rush to judgment.' Rush to judgment might include
calling for Murawaky to be fired before the Inspector General's
investigation was completed. But anyone who's supervision has allowed
the impression -- just the impression -- that 40 veterans died as a
result of their own incompetence is someone who does not need to be
advanced in the system.

I don't say this often (this may, in fact, be the first time) but
Senator John Coryn is right, the nomination needs to be withdrawn.

This is why people get outraged and wonder, "Where is the accountability?"

Murawsky is an official charged with oversight and he failed at his job.
Not only is he not fired or even demoted, he's being nominated for a
promotion.

White
House Press Secretary Jay Carney wound up with egg on his face Monday as
he told reporters that President Barack Obama first learned from a TV
news report that his Veterans Administration was denying medical care to
vets with secret off-the-books-waiting lists.

But
new evidence emerged this morning that his transition team was notified
five years ago about how VA medical centers' official wait-list times
bore little resemblance to reality and risked denying military heroes
critical health care.

The Washington Times reported
Monday that waiting times at veterans' medical facilities were known to
be wildly inaccurate at the end of the George W. Bush administration.
By the time Obama's transition team got a post-election briefing from
the VA at the end of 2008, scheduling failures were already reaching a
critical point.

'This
is not only a data integrity issue in which [Veterans Health
Administration] reports unreliable performance data,' the transition
report read; 'it affects quality of care by delaying – and potentially
denying -- deserving veterans timely care.'It
also recommended a series of tests that would compare doctor
appointments in veterans' official medical records with appointment
times recorded in the VA's computer system.

They knew and did nothing.

Which is like Shinseki's first VA scandal. In the fall of 2009,
veterans attending colleges and universities on the Post-9/11 GI Bill
waited and waited for checks. The VA's first response was to flat out
lie. They blamed the academic institutions. There was also some
blaming of veterans.

But October 14, 2009,
when Shinseki appeared before a House Veterans Subcommittee, he
admitted the truth. When he was made Secretary of the VA, he was told
the roll out would not work, that the system in place could not handle
the checks for all veterans. He ordered an outside review and the
review found the same thing. This was in the early months of 2009. He
didn't inform Congress, he didn't inform veterans.

And, repeating, when the problem emerged and the media started reporting
on vets who couldn't pay their tuition and couldn't pay their rent
because their checks did not arrive, the VA's initial response was to
lie and say it was the fault of academic institutions.

How many lies and failures and scandals is Shinseki going to get away with?

Let's drop back to Thursday's snapshot
to note how VA Secretary Eric Shinseki responded to questions -- and
remember, this wasn't a pop quiz. He knew he would be appearing before
the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that day. He knew the topic would
be these lists for medical appointments. Yet he failed at even basic
responses to Ranking Member Richard Burr's questions:

Ranking Member Richard Burr: Mr. Secretary, were you aware that on
October 25, 2013, the Office of Special Counsel requested that the VA
conduct an investigation into the allegations of inappropriate
scheduling at the Fort Collins Community Outpatient clinic? And that
since then, the media has reported about Mr. Freeman's e-mail of June
19, 2013 that explains how to game the system to avoid being on the bad
boy list. Were you aware of those?Secretary Eric Shinseki: Uh, Senator, I became aware of that-that,
uh, that screen shot -- I believe that's what it was -- screen shot of
an employee who was suggesting that there are ways to game. I put that
employee on administrative leave, uh, Ranking Member Richard Burr: When was that?

Secretary Eric Shinseki: That was last Friday.Ranking Member Richard Burr: Mr. Secretary, it's my understanding
that on June 21, 2013, VA received a report from the Office of Medical
Inspector regarding chronic understaffing issues at the Jacksonville VA
Medical Center and that report described multiple patient scheduling
problems including scheduling two patients for the same appointment slot
and scheduling patients for a clinic that does not have any assigned
providers -- often referred to as ghost clinics. And that on September
17, 2013, the Office of Special Counsel submitted a letter to the
President of the United States on which the VA was courtesy copied the
findings of that June 21st Office of Medical Inspector on the Fort
Jackson Medical Center including the practice of double-booking patients
and the use of ghost clinics. Do you remember reading that report and
receiving that copied letter to the president?Secretary Eric Shinseki: Uh, I can't say that I remember it today here.Ranking Member Richard Burr: Okay. There was a December 23, 2013
report by the Office of -- by the Office of Medical Inspector regarding
the Cheyenne Medical Center in Fort Collins Clinic that found that
several medical support assistants reported that, and I quote, "Medical
Center's business office training included teaching them to make the
desired date the actual appointment and, if the Clinic needed to cancel
appointments, they were instructed to change the desired date to within
14 days of the new appointment." Did you read that report? Secretary Eric Shinseki: That, uh, report has come to my-my attention here recently.Ranking Member Richard Burr: Okay, on February 25, 2014, your Chief
of Staff, Mr. [Jose D.] Riojas, submitted a response to the Office of
Special Counsel which included the December 23 , 2013 Office of the
Medical Inspector report on Fort Collins. And in that letter, Mr.
Riojas states, and I quote, "However as OMI" Office of Medical Inspector
"was not provided any specific veterans cases effected by these
practices, it cannot substantiate that the failure to properly train
staff resulted in danger to public health or safety." Were you aware of
what your Chief of Staff wrote?Secretary Eric Shinseki: I was.Ranking Member Richard Burr: Okay. Mr. Secretary, were you aware
that the GAO report entitled "VA Health Care: Reliability of Reported
Out Patient Medical Appointment Wait Times Scheduling Oversight Need
Improvement" which was publicly released in January 2013 and then on
December 11, 2012, to that same report, your former Chief of Staff, John
Gingrich, sent a letter to the GAO which stated, and I quote, "VA
generally agrees with the GAO's conclusions and concurs with GAO's
recommendations to the Dept"? Do you remember that letter? That
report and your Chief of Staff's response?Secretary Eric Shinseki: In-in general, I do remember that report.Ranking Member Richard Burr: Mr. Secretary, you knew that there were
specific issues relating to scheduling and wait times as early as June
21, 2013 at Jackson, December 23, 2013 at Fort Collins, as well as
numerous IG reports related to excessive wait times in January '012 in
Temple, Texas, September '012 in Spokane, Washington, October 2012 in
Cleveland, Ohio, September 2013 in Columbia, South Carolina. December
'012, a GAO report questions the validity and the reliability of the
reported wait time performance measures. Which brings us to today in
Phoenix. On May 1, you publicly stated that you had removed Ms. Hellman
as the medical director. And you stated then that that was to ensure
the integrity of the IG's current ongoing investigation. On May 5th,
Dr. Petzel conducted a conference call with all medical directors, all
VISN directors and the chiefs of staff -- a rather large group -- to
discuss the ongoing face-to-face audits of all VA centers and large
community outpatient clinics. I have been told by sources that were on
that call that during that call, Dr. Petzel made the statement that the
removal of Ms. Hellman was, I quote, "political and that she's done
nothing wrong." If you're asking us to wait until the investigation is
over, doesn't the same apply to people who work for you? And, Mr.
Secretary, from all I've described to you and the current investigation,
why should this Committee or any veteran believe that change is going
to happen as a result of what we're going though? Secretary Eric Shinseki: I-I was not aware of, uh, the phone call
you referred to and I will look into it. Uhm, I would just tell you
that, uh, my removal of the director, uh, placing her on administrative
leave was at the request of the IG. He is the lead in this, uh-uh,
comprehensive review. Uhm, I don't get out ahead of him. Uh, he
requested it. And I, uh, put Director Hellman and two other individuals
on administrative leave.

Is there not already evidence of VA appointment schedulers cooking the books?

Milbank also notes Senator Richard Blumenthal's request for calling in
the FBI (also see Ruth's report linked to above on this) and how
Shinseki could only respond "if" -- he would call for it if the
Inspector General requested it. Eric London (WSWS) also notes Shinseki's "if"s:

The Obama administration has responded by denying the existence of
wrongdoing and scrambling to minimize the scandal. Shinseki told the
Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on May 15 in conditional terms
that “ if these allegations are true” and “ if they are substantiated,” then “they are completely unacceptable” and “timely action will be taken.” Shinseki
and Obama both issued choreographed statements in recent days stating
that they were “mad as hell” (Shinseki) and “madder than hell” (Obama).

Turning to Iraq, yesterday a major announcement was made:

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

May 19, 2014

Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Stabilization of Iraq

NOTICE

- - - - - - -

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH

RESPECT TO THE STABILIZATION OF IRAQ

On May 22, 2003, by Executive Order
13303, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to
deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security
and foreign policy of the United States posed by obstacles to the
continued reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of
peace and security in the country, and the development of political,
administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq. The obstacles to the orderly
reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and
security in the country, and the development of political,
administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq continue to pose an
unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign
policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency
declared in Executive Order 13303, as modified in scope and relied upon
for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13315 of August 28, 2003,
Executive Order 13350 of July 29, 2004, Executive Order 13364 of
November 29, 2004, and Executive Order 13438 of July 17, 2007, must
continue in effect beyond May 22, 2014. Therefore, in accordance with
section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am
continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to the
stabilization of Iraq declared in Executive Order 13303. This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

What? You thought we were talking about polling results?

No.

I'm talking about Barack and his never ending lying.

We all know now that Iraq had no WMDs (a few of us hazard a guess to
that effect before the illegal war started) so why does the US have to
declare -- to renew annually -- a state of national emergency as a
result of Iraq?

Explain: "the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security
and foreign policy of the United States posed by obstacles to the
continued reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of
peace and security in the country, and the development of political,
administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq."

All Iraq News reports,
"The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham congratulated
Iraqis on the annoucement of the elections results. In a press
conference held in Tehran on Tuesday, She also congratulated the Iraqi
nation and government on the successful holding of parliamentary
elections." Well at least someone is happy.

Abdulrahman al-Rashed (Al Arabiya) offers, "Maliki, whose bloc won most of the votes, needs the support of more than
60 other members of parliament to become premier again. If Maliki makes
it to the premiership, his term would be the second longest after
Saddam Hussein. Maliki is expected to resume running the country on his
own and adopting the policy of dominance. This will thus eliminate the
state institutional system the Americans pledged to establish."

The US invaded Iraq, broke the law, killed millions, lost some of their own and all to create a new Saddam Hussein?

Nouri's third term only becomes a done deal if the US government demands
it (as they demanded his first term and his second). The results --
preliminary -- aren't impressive. Nouri's where he was in 2010 more or
less. And his 2010 results weren't considered impressive that year.

Kurdistan Alliance MP Najiba Najib is unimpressed. NINA quotes
her stating that Nouri's vote totals aren't surprising when one
considers, among other things, "the distribution of residential lands
which brought him more votes." Najib is incorrect, the term is
"bought," not "brought." And other political blocs complained in real
time that Nouri was buying votes.

And, of course, now he'll really be trying to buy them. Gazi Hassan (Rudaw) offers a cautionary note:We have to remember that the Kurds' hands have been tied for a long time
because of Bagdad's anti-Kurd policy. That's why the Kurds should make a
crucial decision: they should not involve in any coalition or cabinet
without official documents signed by the Prime Minister granting the
Kurds what is their legitimate rights.

What is Hassan smoking?

It must have been good for him to demand that they hold out for
"official documents signed by the Prime Minister granting the Kurds what
is their legitimate rights."

One of their legitimate demands is to resolve the issue of Kirkuk.
Kirkuk is oil rich and it's disputed as to who has rightful claim to it
-- the central government out of Baghdad or the KRG.

There's an official document that's in writing and that Nouri took an
oath to uphold -- twice took that oath. The document is the Iraqi
Constitution.

Article 140 of the Constitution explains how to resolve the issue of
Kirkuk, a census will be taken and a referendum held. Despite taking an
oath to the Constitution in 2006, Nouri never implemented Article 140.
The Constitution mandated that the prime minister implement no later
than the end of 2007.

Nouri ignored it.

In 2010, to get a second term as prime minister for Nouri, the US
government brokered a contract -- a written one -- which all the leaders
of the political blocs signed off on -- that would include Nouri. In
exchange for the other blocs agreeing to give Nouri a second term, the
contract stipulated things Nouri would give. Those things included that
he would (finally) implement Article 140.

He never did. He used The Erbil Agreement to get a second term and then
refused to honor the contract -- the written contract. So I'm confused
as to why Gazi Hassan thinks the 'answer' is to get a promise from
Nouri in writing.

Rudaw quotes
Nineveh Governor Atheel al-Nujaifi stating, "I am not against the State
of Law, but against the continuation of Maliki in power. His
continuation in power is a big threat to Iraq." All Iraq News quotes
him posting to Facebook, "If the Shiite agreed to grant a third term
for the Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki means a clear message for the
Sunni and Kurds of their will to end peaceful coexistence in Iraq." In
which case, al-Nujaifi says, it may be required that they form regions
where they are able to fight back against the "domination of politicized
security forces and judiciary."

Meanwhile, World News Bulletin reports:Former Iraqi premier Ayad Allawi's political bloc on Tuesday demanded
that parliamentary polls – results of which were officially announced
yesterday – be repeated, claiming that the vote was rigged."There were many cases of vote-rigging and other violations,"
Entessar Allawi, a spokesperson for the former PM's Wataniya bloc, told
Anadolu Agency.

Al Mada reports
Prince Kanani, with the Sadr bloc, states that he finds the results
"shocking" and that the 'Independent' High Electoral Commission refused
to investigate complaints -- including that Nouri's votes in Baghdad
exceed by 20% the population eligible to vote in Baghdad.

They should complain. Nouri did it in 2010, demanded a recount and was
tossed a few seats to shut him up. So Allawi and others should be
demanding a recount as well. All Iraq News reports
the Jamal al-Batiekh, leader of The White Bloc (a grouping that split
from Iraqiya early on) states that "forgery that took place in the
elections in Diwaniya and Wasit" resulted in loss of votes for the White
Bloc.

It's not as though democratic elections took place anyway. Not when
Nouri used the military to close the polling stations in areas hostile
to him. They turned away voters all morning and only allowed voters in
because the press got wind of it and began reporting on it.

The Iraqi press, of course. The western media is far too timid to report much of anything that angers thug Nouri.

There is some political news out of Iraq that is decisive. All Iraq News and National Iraqi News Agency
report that the Kurdistan Regional Government has selected Nijervan
Barzani to be the Prime Minister of the KRG and Qubad Talabani to be the
Vice President. The KRG held provincial elections last fall. Barzani
is the current prime minister so this is a second term for him. He is
the son of KRG President Massoud Barzani (who will be replaced shortly
-- a vote limited the KRG presidency to two terms and since it was
passed half-way into Barzani's term, it was decided he would be given
two years extra). Qubad Talabani is the son of Iraq's President Jalal
Talabani.

The Talabani and Barzani families have long dominated Kurdish politics
with the Talabanis part of PUK political party and the Barzanis part of
the KDP political party. (Iraq's First Lady Hero Ibrahim spans both
parties due to blood relations as well as marriage.)

The results may be most surprising in light of Goran besting the PUK in those elections.